Construction Sector Deal

Debate between Lord Harrington of Watford and Philip Hollobone

Thursday 5th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Richard Harrington]

Absolutely; I can reassure my hon. Friend on that point.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

What is there in the construction sector deal to encourage small builders in Kettering?

[Richard Harrington]

My hon. Friend, as always, speaks up for Kettering, and he does so well. Kettering is typical of many places in the country where small businesses are the core of the construction industry. The sector deal is not silent about that. [Interruption.] The shadow Minister is chuntering that he made that point—he did, and he is absolutely right.

Small businesses are the core of the construction industry. On every visit I have made to the tier 1 large contractors, they have been very conscious that small businesses are part of the industry. We have to make sure that those small businesses get their share of the expenditure on apprenticeships, as they are getting, and make it easier for them to get apprentices, which we are doing. The training board and the industry bodies we work with are conscious of that.